Mashed Sweet Potatoes With Roasted Garlic

By Eric Kim

Updated Nov. 22, 2021

Mashed Sweet Potatoes With Roasted Garlic
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Total Time
1½ hours
Rating
4(449)
Comments
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There’s no reason we can’t treat sweet potatoes like regular potatoes, meaning mashing them with butter, cream and lots of salt. Roasting sweet potatoes in the oven — individually wrapped in foil to help them steam — is not just a hands-off way to cook them by avoiding large pots of boiling water, it also concentrates their flavor. Roasted garlic is an easy addition here; since the potatoes already need an hour’s worth of oven time, the garlic can cook alongside. The mellowed, caramelized garlic cloves are then smashed into the silky spuds, creating a minimalist yet rich and savory side dish. Make this the night before and reheat it in a buttered casserole dish in the oven — or even in the microwave — with a couple of extra pats of butter on top, right before eating.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1large head of garlic
  • 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 2pounds sweet potatoes (see Tip)
  • ½cup heavy cream
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

302 calories; 17 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 451 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Turn the garlic head on its side and carefully cut off the very top end to expose the cloves. (Discard the top.) Place the head of garlic on a sheet of foil, cut side up, and drizzle with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly and place on a sheet pan. Wrap each sweet potato individually in foil and place on the pan alongside the garlic.

  2. Step 2

    Bake until the sweet potatoes are tender and the garlic is soft, fragrant and slightly caramelized, about 1 hour. Set aside, still wrapped, to cool slightly.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, heat the cream and butter in the microwave in 30-second intervals, checking after each, until the butter is melted, about 1 minute. (Alternatively, you can heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium until the butter is melted.)

  4. Step 4

    Unwrap the sweet potatoes and peel them, discarding the skin and adding the flesh to a large bowl. Squeeze the garlic head, cut side down, into the bowl to release the roasted cloves. Pour in the hot cream and butter. Using a whisk or fork, break up the potatoes and garlic and vigorously stir until smooth and fluffy, at least 30 seconds. Taste for seasoning, adjusting with salt and pepper as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm. (To make ahead, transfer to a buttered casserole dish or cake pan, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, until ready to eat. Bake in a 350-degree oven or microwave until heated through, about 15 minutes. On Thanksgiving, you should reheat this when the turkey is out of the oven and resting.)

Tip
  • There are many varieties of sweet potatoes available now, but what you want here are just the regular brown-skinned, orange-fleshed ones (varieties of which include jewel, Covington and Beauregard). Don’t use red-skinned or white-fleshed sweet potatoes, which cook differently.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
449 user ratings
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Comments

Joy

I made these potatoes exactly by the recipe. Going by the recipe is rare for me, but perhaps I should do that more often! The potatoes were delicious and guests raved! They were served with a lovely spinach salad another NYT recipe for pork chops. All so dang good! Thanks NYT Cooking.

KC

Way too much liquid. If I make again I will mash everything with just butter (no cream) and add cream as needed at the end.

Matthew

I always cook a small potato with sweet potatoes I’m going to mash. Improves the consistency and softens the sweetness somewhat - a personal preference. As potatoes tend to take longer to boil than sweet potatoes, I either cut the former in smaller pieces or put them in the water for a few minutes before putting in the latter.

nanbrand

I used two cloves of garlic because mine were small. This recipe is very easy and tasty. My guests raved.

Fast Forward

I’m sure oven roasting, as instructed, would bring this to the next level, but I didn’t have the time. I steamed the sweet potatoes and pan roasted the garlic by keeping the skins on, rubbing them with some oil, and putting them in a mini-cast iron pan covered with tin foil. Got this cooked in less than a half hour. The roasted garlic is a delicious sweet and savory idea!

Kristine

Someone here mentioned cooking sweet potatoes according to America's Test Kitchen, so I did that. Microwave for ten minutes then place in 425-degree oven on a rack over a tinfoil-lined sheet pain and bake for one hour. The garlic turned out fine at this temp for that amount of time. Two pounds of sweet potatoes (about three) wasn't enough for four as a side dish or with that amount of butter and cream. Use more sweet potatoes.

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Credits

By Eric Kim

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